CN111845747B

CN111845747B - Vehicle control interface and vehicle system

Info

Publication number: CN111845747B
Application number: CN202010143517.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 安藤荣祐
Original assignee: Toyota Motor Corp
Current assignee: Toyota Motor Corp
Priority date: 2019-04-10
Filing date: 2020-03-04
Publication date: 2024-05-24
Anticipated expiration: 2040-03-04
Also published as: CN111845747A; JP2020172165A; JP7215307B2; US11794773B2; US20200324788A1

Abstract

A vehicle control interface and a vehicle system are disclosed. The vehicle control interface connects a vehicle platform including a first computer that performs travel control of a vehicle and an autopilot platform including a second computer that performs autopilot control of the vehicle. The vehicle control interface includes a control unit configured to perform: obtaining a first control instruction from a second computer, the first control instruction including at least one of first data regarding a specified acceleration or deceleration and second data regarding a specified travel track; converting the first control instruction into a second control instruction for the first computer; and sending the second control instruction to the first computer. The first control instruction is data for controlling the vehicle platform.

Description

Vehicle control interface and vehicle system

Technical Field

The present invention relates to vehicle control.

Background

Studies on automatic driving of vehicles have been actively conducted. For example, japanese unexamined patent application publication No. 2018-132015 (JP 2018-132015A) discloses a vehicle system in which an automatic driving ECU having a sensing function for detecting the surroundings of a vehicle is provided in the vehicle in addition to an engine ECU. Wherein the automated driving ECU issues a command to the engine ECU via the in-vehicle network. As in the invention described in JP 2018-132015A, an autopilot function can be added to the vehicle by providing an ECU managing the power of the vehicle and an autopilot ECU, respectively, without greatly changing the existing vehicle platform. In addition, development of the autopilot function by a third party may be desired.

Disclosure of Invention

In the case where the automated driving ECU and the ECU (e.g., engine ECU) that manages the power of the vehicle are provided by different suppliers, compatibility may become a problem. Further, if the automated driving ECU can also access unnecessary information among the information flowing through the in-vehicle network, safety may also become a problem.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a vehicle control interface that has both versatility and safety.

A vehicle control interface according to the present invention connects a vehicle platform including a first computer that performs travel control of a vehicle and an autopilot platform including a second computer that performs autopilot control of the vehicle. The vehicle control interface includes a control unit configured to perform: obtaining a first control instruction from a second computer, the first control instruction including at least one of first data regarding a specified acceleration or deceleration and second data regarding a specified travel track; converting the first control instruction into a second control instruction for the first computer; and sending the second control instruction to the first computer. The first control instruction is data for controlling the vehicle platform.

Further, the vehicle system according to the present invention includes: a vehicle platform including a first computer that performs travel control of a vehicle; and a vehicle control interface configured to connect the vehicle platform and an autopilot platform, the autopilot platform including a second computer that performs autopilot control of the vehicle. The vehicle control interface includes a control unit configured to perform: obtaining a first control instruction from a second computer, the first control instruction including at least one of first data regarding a specified acceleration or deceleration and second data regarding a specified travel track; converting the first control instruction into a second control instruction for the first computer; and sending the second control instruction to the first computer. The first control instruction is data for controlling the vehicle platform.

Another aspect of the invention relates to an information processing method performed by a vehicle control interface, a program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method performed by the computer, or a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the program.

According to the invention, a vehicle control interface having both versatility and safety can be provided.

Drawings

Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals denote like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a vehicle system according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating one example of components provided in a system;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing data input and output of a vehicle control interface;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing data to be converted;

Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing performed in the first embodiment;

Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing performed in the first embodiment;

fig. 7 is a diagram showing a vehicle travel plan;

Fig. 8A is a diagram showing the physical control quantity (acceleration or deceleration) of the vehicle;

Fig. 8B is a diagram showing the physical control amount (steering angle) of the vehicle; and

Fig. 8C is a graph showing the values of the physical control quantity (acceleration or deceleration) of the vehicle for each time step.

Detailed Description

Such a configuration is proposed: wherein a vehicle platform including a computer controlling vehicle power is provided independently of an autopilot platform making a judgment of autopilot, and both platforms are installed in a vehicle system. For example, the autopilot platform senses the surroundings of the vehicle and sends control instructions to the existing vehicle platform based on the sensing results. With such a configuration, independent suppliers can develop respective platforms, so that development of the autopilot function by a third party can be facilitated.

Meanwhile, various problems arise in the case where platforms developed by different suppliers are installed in the same vehicle system (i.e., a vehicle power system and an automated driving system that issues control instructions to the power system are connected to the same on-vehicle network). One of the problems that may occur is that the commands for controlling the vehicle platform differ according to manufacturer and vehicle type. For example, the input or output of an engine ECU varies with manufacturer and vehicle type, so it is expensive to design an automated driving ECU compatible with all vehicle types. In addition, since various information for controlling the vehicle flows through the in-vehicle network, it is not desirable to allow an automated driving platform (manufactured by a third party not directly related to the vehicle platform) to access those information without limitation.

Thus, the vehicle system according to the present embodiment is configured such that the vehicle platform and the autopilot platform are connected via the vehicle control interface to relay information. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle system according to the present embodiment. The vehicle platform 100 is a platform including a first computer (e.g., engine ECU, etc.) that performs running control of the vehicle. Autopilot platform 200 is a platform that includes a second computer (e.g., an autopilot ECU) that performs autopilot control of the vehicle. Autopilot 200 may have means for sensing the surroundings of the vehicle and means for generating a travel plan based on the sensing result.

The vehicle control interface 300 is a device that connects the vehicle platform 100 and the autopilot platform 200 and relays information that the vehicle platform and the autopilot platform input and output to and from each other. Specifically, the vehicle control interface 300 is configured to include a control unit in which a first control instruction, which is data for controlling the vehicle platform and includes at least one of first data relating to a specified acceleration and deceleration and second data relating to a specified travel track, is acquired from a second computer, the first control instruction is converted into a second control instruction for the first computer, and the second control instruction is transmitted to the first computer.

The first data is data related to acceleration and deceleration of the specified vehicle, and the second data is data related to the specified travel track. The first data may be, for example, data specifying a speed change amount (acceleration or deceleration) per unit time or a target speed. In addition, the second data may be, for example, data specifying a steering angle. The second data may also be data specifying a travel track.

The first control instruction is generated as a general-purpose instruction that is not specific to a first computer provided in the vehicle. The control unit converts the first control instruction into a second control instruction, which is data specific to the first computer. According to this configuration, the general instruction can be converted into an instruction specific to the type of vehicle or manufacturer.

In the case where the first control instruction includes data other than the first data and the second data, the control unit may discard the data without converting the data. According to such a configuration, in the case where data that should not be transmitted to the vehicle platform 100 (for example, an instruction for a vehicle component that should not be accessed by the autopilot platform) is transmitted, such data can be appropriately filtered.

The vehicle control interface may further include a storage unit configured to store conversion information, which is a rule for converting the first control instruction and the second control instruction, wherein the control unit converts the first control instruction into the second control instruction based on the conversion information. For example, the storage unit stores in advance a rule (dedicated to the vehicle) for converting the first control instruction into the second control instruction, and generates a control instruction to be transmitted to the vehicle platform based on data transmitted from the automated driving platform. According to such a configuration, the autopilot platform can be introduced regardless of the manufacturer or the type of vehicle.

The control unit may calculate a range of acceleration or deceleration or a range of steering angle variation that may be requested to the first computer based on the information acquired from the vehicle platform.

The range of speed change (acceleration or deceleration) per unit time and the range of steering angle change (angular velocity or the like) per unit time, which may be requested to the vehicle platform, depend on the vehicle state and the running state (e.g., road condition, traffic condition, engine load condition, number of occupants, etc.). Thus, the vehicle control interface may calculate these based on information obtained from the vehicle platform. According to such a configuration, it is possible to determine whether the data transmitted from the autopilot platform is appropriate. In addition, the autopilot platform may be notified of the appropriate range.

In the case where the acceleration or deceleration specified by the first data exceeds the range that can be requested to the first computer, the control unit may correct the acceleration or deceleration within a predetermined range. In the case where the amount of change in the steering angle specified by the second data exceeds the range that can be requested to the first computer, the control unit may correct the amount of change in the steering angle within a predetermined range.

As described above, in the case where the autopilot platform specifies an improper acceleration or deceleration or steering angle variation, the vehicle control interface may automatically perform correction. According to this configuration, security can be ensured.

The control unit may notify the second computer of the range of acceleration or deceleration or the range of the steering angle change amount that may be required to the first computer. As described above, the information necessary for the determination during the autopilot can be notified to the autopilot platform.

First embodiment

An overview of the vehicle system according to the first embodiment will be described. As shown in fig. 1, the vehicle system according to the present embodiment is constituted by a vehicle platform 100, an autopilot platform 200, and a vehicle control interface 300. The vehicle platform 100 is a conventional vehicle platform. The vehicle platform 100 operates based on control instructions specific to the vehicle and generates vehicle information specific to the vehicle. The control instructions and the vehicle information are encapsulated, for example, by Controller Area Network (CAN) frames flowing through the on-board network.

Autopilot 200 has means for sensing the surroundings of the vehicle and issues control instructions that are not specific to the type of vehicle or manufacturer. In addition, vehicle information that is not specific to the type of vehicle or manufacturer is acquired. The vehicle control interface 300 converts control commands specific to the vehicle (i.e., control commands interpretable by the vehicle platform 100) and control commands not specific to the vehicle (i.e., control commands generated by the autopilot platform 200) to each other. In addition, the vehicle control interface 300 also mutually converts vehicle information specific to the vehicle (i.e., vehicle information generated by the vehicle platform 100) and vehicle information not specific to the vehicle (i.e., vehicle information interpretable by the autopilot platform 200).

Next, the respective components of the system will be described in detail. Fig. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing one example of the configuration of the vehicle system shown in fig. 1. The vehicle system includes a vehicle platform 100, an autopilot platform 200, and a vehicle control interface 300, and each component is communicatively coupled via a bus 400.

The vehicle platform 100 includes a vehicle control ECU 101, a brake device 102, a steering device 103, a steering angle sensor 111, and a vehicle speed sensor 112. In this example, a vehicle having an engine is taken as an example, but an electric vehicle may also be used. In this case, the engine ECU may be replaced with an ECU that manages the power of the vehicle. Further, the vehicle platform 100 may be equipped with ECU and sensors that are different from those illustrated.

The vehicle control ECU 101 is a computer that controls various components of the vehicle (e.g., an engine system component, a powertrain component, a brake system component, an electrical system component, and a vehicle body system component). The vehicle control ECU 101 may be a group of computers. The vehicle control ECU 101 controls the rotation speed of the engine, for example, by executing fuel injection control. The vehicle control ECU 101 may control the engine speed based on, for example, a control instruction (e.g., an instruction for specifying the throttle opening degree) generated by an operation of an occupant (e.g., an operation of an accelerator pedal).

In the case where the vehicle is an electric vehicle, the vehicle control ECU 101 may control the rotation speed of the motor by controlling the driving voltage, current, driving frequency, and the like. In this case, as in the case of the internal combustion engine vehicle, the rotation speed of the motor may also be controlled based on a control instruction generated by the operation of the occupant. Further, the regenerative current may be controlled based on a depression force of the brake pedal and a control instruction indicating the degree of regenerative braking. In the case where the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle, control for both the engine and the motor may be performed.

In addition, the vehicle control ECU 101 may control the braking force of the mechanical brake by controlling an actuator 1021 included in a braking device 102 described later. The vehicle control ECU 101 may control the brake fluid pressure by driving the actuator 1021 based on, for example, a control instruction (e.g., an instruction indicating a depression force to a brake pedal) generated by an operation of an occupant (e.g., an operation of a brake pedal).

In addition, the vehicle control ECU 101 can control the steering angle or the steering wheel angle by controlling a steering motor 1031 included in a steering device 103 described later. The vehicle control ECU 101 may control the steering angle of the vehicle by driving the steering motor 1031 based on, for example, a control instruction (e.g., an instruction indicating the steering angle) generated by an operation (e.g., a steering operation) of an occupant.

The control instructions may be generated in the vehicle platform 100 based on the occupant's operation, or may be generated external to the vehicle platform 100 (e.g., by controlling an autopilot device).

The braking device 102 is a mechanical braking system provided in the vehicle. The brake 102 includes an interface (such as a brake pedal), an actuator 1021, a hydraulic system, a brake cylinder, and the like. The actuator 1021 is a device for controlling the hydraulic pressure in the brake system. The braking force of the mechanical brake can be ensured by controlling the hydraulic pressure of the brake by the actuator 1021, which has received the instruction from the vehicle control ECU 101.

The steering device 103 is a steering system provided in the vehicle. The steering device 103 includes interfaces such as a steering wheel, a steering motor 1031, a gear box, and a steering column. The steering motor 1031 is a device for assisting a steering operation. The force required for the steering operation can be reduced by driving the steering motor 1031 that has received the instruction from the vehicle control ECU 101. Further, the steering operation can be automated by driving the steering motor 1031 without depending on the operation of the occupant.

The steering angle sensor 111 is a sensor that detects a steering angle acquired by a steering operation. The detection value acquired by the steering angle sensor 111 is sent to the vehicle control ECU 101 as needed. In the present embodiment, the value directly representing the rotation angle of the tire is used as the steering angle, but a value indirectly representing the rotation angle of the tire may be used. The vehicle speed sensor 112 is a sensor that detects the vehicle speed. The detection value acquired by the vehicle speed sensor 112 is sent to the vehicle control ECU 101 as needed.

The autopilot platform 200 will be described below. Autopilot 200 is a device that senses the surroundings of a vehicle, generates a travel plan based on the sensing result, and issues instructions to vehicle platform 100 according to the plan. Autopilot platform 200 may be developed by a manufacturer or vendor that is different from the manufacturer or vendor of vehicle platform 100. Autopilot platform 200 includes an autopilot ECU 201 and a sensor suite 202.

The automated driving ECU 201 is a computer that controls the vehicle by judging automated driving based on data acquired from a sensor group 202 described later and by communicating with the vehicle platform 100. The automated driving ECU 201 is constituted by, for example, a CPU (central processing unit). The automated driving ECU 201 includes two functional modules, a condition recognition unit 2011 and an automated driving control unit 2012. Each functional module may be realized by executing a program stored in a storage unit such as a ROM (read only memory) by a CPU.

The condition identifying unit 2011 detects the environment around the vehicle based on data acquired by sensors included in a sensor group 202 described later. The detection targets include, for example, but are not limited to, the number and position of lanes, the number and position of vehicles present around the own vehicle, the number and position of obstacles (e.g., pedestrians, bicycles, structures, buildings, etc.) present around the own vehicle, road structures, road signs, and the like. Any detection target may be used as long as it is necessary for automatic running. The data related to the environment (hereinafter referred to as "environment data") detected by the condition identifying unit 2011 is transmitted to the automatic driving control unit 2012.

The automatic driving control unit 2012 controls the travel of the host vehicle using the environmental data generated by the condition recognition unit 2011. For example, a running track of the own vehicle is generated based on the environmental data, and acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle and a steering angle are determined so that the vehicle runs along the running track. The information determined by the autopilot control unit 2012 is transmitted to the vehicle platform 100 (the vehicle control ECU 101) via a vehicle control interface 300 described later. As a method for enabling the vehicle to automatically travel, a known method may be employed.

In the present embodiment, the automatic driving control unit 2012 generates only an instruction relating to acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle and an instruction relating to steering of the vehicle as the first control instruction. Hereinafter, the instruction relating to acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle is referred to as an acceleration/deceleration instruction, and the instruction relating to steering of the vehicle is referred to as a steering instruction. The first control command including the acceleration and deceleration command and the steering command is a general command independent of the type of vehicle or the manufacturer. In the present embodiment, the acceleration/deceleration instruction is information specifying acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle, and the steering instruction is information specifying a steering angle of a steering wheel of the vehicle.

The sensor group 202 is a unit configured to sense the surroundings of a vehicle, and generally includes a monocular camera, a stereo camera, a radar, a laser radar (LIDAR), a laser scanner, and the like. The sensor set 202 may include means (e.g., a GPS module) for acquiring the current position of the vehicle, in addition to those means for sensing the surroundings of the vehicle. The information acquired by the sensors included in the sensor group 202 is transmitted to the automated driving ECU 201 (condition recognition unit 2011) as needed.

Next, the vehicle control interface 300 will be described. In the present embodiment, the control instructions handled by the vehicle control ECU 101 are specific to the vehicle and the manufacturer. On the other hand, the autopilot 200 is a device developed by a third party, and is expected to be installed in various vehicle types of various manufacturers. That is, connecting both components to the same on-board network is expensive. Thus, in the present embodiment, the vehicle control interface 300 serves as a means for converting and relaying data exchanged between the vehicle control ECU 101 and the automated driving ECU 201.

The control unit 301 is a computer that mutually converts a control instruction processed by the vehicle control ECU 101 and a control instruction processed by the automated driving ECU 201. The control unit 301 is constituted by, for example, a CPU (central processing unit). As shown in fig. 3, the control unit 301 includes three functional blocks, an acceleration/deceleration instruction processing unit 3011, a steering instruction processing unit 3012, and a vehicle information processing unit 3013. Each functional module may be realized by executing a program stored in a storage unit 302 described later by a CPU.

The acceleration/deceleration instruction processing unit 3011 receives the acceleration/deceleration instruction from the automated driving ECU 201, and converts the acceleration/deceleration instruction into data (second control instruction; hereinafter referred to as "control data") that can be interpreted by the vehicle control ECU 101. Specifically, the acceleration or deceleration specified by the acceleration/deceleration instruction (for example, +3.0 km/h/s) is converted into data indicating the throttle opening degree or data indicating the brake pressure. The converted control data is transmitted in a protocol or format specific to the vehicle platform 100. The conversion process is performed using conversion information stored in a storage unit 302 described later. This process will be described later.

In this example, the throttle opening degree and the brake pressure are exemplified as control data. However, the control data may be other data as long as it relates to acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle. For example, a target rotational speed or current value of the motor may be used.

The steering instruction processing unit 3012 receives steering instructions from the automated driving ECU 201, and converts the steering instructions into control data that can be interpreted by the vehicle control ECU 101 using the conversion information. Specifically, the data is converted into data indicating the steering angle specific to the vehicle platform 100. In this example, the rotation angle of the tire is illustrated as the steering angle, but the control data may be other data as long as it relates to the steering of the vehicle. For example, the control data may directly or indirectly represent steering wheel angle, percentage of maximum angle, etc.

The vehicle information processing unit 3013 receives information about the state of the vehicle from the vehicle control ECU 101, and converts the information into information that can be interpreted by the automated driving ECU 201 (information that is not specific to the type of vehicle). In particular, information transmitted in a protocol or format specific to the vehicle platform 100 is converted into information in a common format (hereinafter referred to as feedback data). Hereinafter, the information on the vehicle state is referred to as sensor data. The sensor data is based on, for example, information acquired by the steering angle sensor 111 and the vehicle speed sensor 112, and is transmitted to the in-vehicle network by the vehicle control ECU 101. For example, the sensor data may be any data as long as it can be fed back to the automated driving ECU 201, such as vehicle speed information, information about the rotation angle of the tire, and information about the steering angle. In the present embodiment, the vehicle information processing unit 3013 converts sensor data concerning the current vehicle speed and steering angle state.

The storage unit 302 is a unit configured to store information, and the storage unit 302 is constituted by a storage medium such as a RAM, a magnetic disk, a flash memory, or the like. The storage unit 302 stores information (hereinafter referred to as conversion information) for converting an acceleration/deceleration instruction and a steering instruction generated by the automated driving ECU 201 (automated driving control unit 2012) into control data interpretable by the vehicle control ECU 101 (or vice versa). The conversion information further includes information for converting sensor data specific to the vehicle into feedback data.

The conversion information includes, for example, a configuration of control data input to the vehicle control ECU 101 or output from the vehicle control ECU 101, parameters thereof, and a table or mathematical formula for converting the input values into parameters. Further, the conversion information is composed of the configuration of the sensor data output from the vehicle control ECU 101, its parameters, a table for converting the parameters into physical values, mathematical formulas, and the like.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the type of data converted by converting information. In the figure, "input" indicates that it is data from the automated driving ECU 201 to the vehicle control ECU 101, and "output" indicates that it is data from the vehicle control ECU 101 to the automated driving ECU 201. As described above, instructions relating to acceleration or deceleration and steering angle are sent from the automated driving ECU 201 to the vehicle control ECU 101, and data relating to the current vehicle speed and steering angle state are sent from the vehicle control ECU 101 to the automated driving ECU 201. In the case where data other than the data shown in fig. 4 is transmitted to the vehicle control interface 300, the data is discarded.

In the vehicle system according to the present embodiment, the communication between the vehicle platform 100 and the autopilot platform 200 is performed by the above-described configuration.

Next, the process performed by the vehicle system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the process flowcharts of fig. 5 and 6. The process shown in fig. 5 is performed by the autopilot 200 at predetermined intervals.

In step S11, the automated driving ECU 201 generates a travel plan based on the information acquired from the sensor group 202. The travel plan is data indicating the behavior of the vehicle within a predetermined interval. For example, as shown in fig. 7, when a travel plan is generated in which a vehicle traveling in a first lane moves to a second lane, a travel track as shown in the drawing is generated. The travel plan may include a travel track of the vehicle, or may include information related to acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle. The travel plan may also be generated based on information other than the exemplary information. For example, the map data may be generated based on the departure place, the via place, the destination, the map data, and the like.

In step S12, the automated driving ECU 201 generates a physical control amount for implementing the travel plan. In the present embodiment, two types of physical control amounts, i.e., a physical control amount for acceleration or deceleration and a physical control amount for steering angle, are generated. Fig. 8A is a timing chart showing the control amount for acceleration or deceleration, and fig. 8B is a timing chart showing the control amount for steering angle. Each value may be generated based on a preset parameter such as a relation between a vehicle speed and a maximum steering angle, a relation between a running environment and acceleration or deceleration (steering angle), or a period of time required to complete an operation (e.g., change lanes).

In step S13, the automated driving ECU 201 divides each of the generated physical control amounts into a plurality of time steps. The time step may be, for example, 100 milliseconds, but is not limited thereto. Fig. 8C shows an example in which the physical control amount for the generated acceleration or deceleration is divided into seven steps in a period from time t ₁ to time t ₂.

In step S14, the automated driving ECU 201 issues an acceleration/deceleration instruction and a steering instruction based on a change in the physical control amount from the current time step t _n to the next time step t _n+1. For example, when one time step is 100 milliseconds and +2.0km/h/s is designated as acceleration or deceleration, an acceleration/deceleration instruction for designating a variation amount of 0.2km/h per time step is generated. For example, when it is specified that the steering angle is changed by 20 degrees in 2 seconds, a steering instruction for specifying the amount of change of 1 degree per time step is generated. The generated acceleration and deceleration instruction and steering instruction are input to the control unit 301 of the vehicle control interface 300.

In step S15, the vehicle control interface 300 (control unit 301) processes the acquired acceleration/deceleration instruction and steering instruction. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the processing in step S15 in detail. In step S151, the acceleration/deceleration instruction processing unit 3011 acquires the acceleration/deceleration instruction transmitted from the automated driving ECU 201. Similarly, in step S152, the steering instruction processing unit 3012 acquires the steering instructions sent from the automated driving ECU 201.

In step S153, the control unit 301 performs data conversion. Specifically, the acceleration/deceleration instruction processing unit 3011 executes mutual conversion between the acceleration/deceleration instructions and the control data based on the conversion information stored in the storage unit 302. The control data to be converted is data indicating the throttle opening degree or data specifying the brake pressure. Further, the steering instruction processing unit 3012 executes mutual conversion between the steering instructions and the control data based on the conversion information stored in the storage unit 302. The control data to be converted is data indicating a steering angle (a rotation angle of the tire).

In step S154, the generated control data is transmitted to the vehicle control ECU 101. In this step, for example, the control data generated in step S153 is encapsulated in a data frame transmitted or received by the in-vehicle network, and is transmitted to the vehicle control ECU 101 as the destination. Further, in step S15, in the case where the vehicle control interface 300 receives data other than the data shown in fig. 4, the data is discarded.

The description will be continued with returning to fig. 5. Step S16 is a step in which the automated driving ECU 201 senses the state of the vehicle after the transmission of the control data. In this step, the sensor data transmitted from the vehicle control ECU 101 is converted by the vehicle control interface 300 based on the conversion information, and then relayed to the automated driving ECU 201. The automated driving ECU 201 that receives such data determines whether the vehicle is in a desired state.

Since the behavior of the vehicle is affected by the current engine load, road conditions (e.g., gradient), etc., in the present embodiment, the automated driving ECU 201 receives feedback of sensor data and determines whether a required physical control amount is acquired. The sensor data is acquired by the vehicle information processing unit 3013, converted into feedback data (data indicating the current vehicle speed and steering angle), and then sent to the automated driving ECU 201. Fig. 3 and 4 show example data indicating the current vehicle speed and the steering angle as feedback data, but the feedback data is not limited thereto. For example, the feedback data may include data related to factors affecting vehicle behavior, such as tire rotation angle, steering angle, angular speed, engine load, road grade (incline), number of occupants, load-carrying capacity, road condition, and traffic condition.

In step S17, the automated driving ECU 201 corrects the travel plan based on the received feedback data. For example, if the feedback data indicates that the engine load is high and the required acceleration cannot be obtained, the travel plan is corrected so that a higher acceleration can be obtained. In addition, although a case of correcting the travel plan is given in this example, there may be a case where the travel control cannot be changed, but the physical control amount for implementing the travel plan may be corrected.

In the vehicle system according to the first embodiment, by performing the above-described processing, it is possible to perform appropriate vehicle running control according to the vehicle condition. Specifically, by defining data to be relayed by the vehicle control interface 300 as an instruction relating to acceleration and deceleration and an instruction relating to steering and filtering other instructions, it is possible to prevent access to unnecessary vehicle functions and ensure safety. Further, by preparing the conversion information, the autopilot 200 may be applied to various vehicle types without modification.

In the description of the present embodiment, the automated driving ECU 201 corrects the difference between the actual state of the vehicle and the ideal state of the vehicle based on the feedback data. However, the vehicle control interface 300 may also perform correction. For example, feedback data generated by the vehicle information processing unit 3013 may be input to the acceleration/deceleration instruction processing unit 3011 (the steering instruction processing unit 3012) so that the acceleration/deceleration instruction processing unit 3011 (the steering instruction processing unit 3012) automatically corrects the control data. In addition, the automated driving ECU 201 may generate data specifying an amount to be corrected independently of the acceleration and deceleration instruction and the steering instruction, and may transmit the data to the vehicle control interface 300.

In the description of the present embodiment, the automated driving ECU 201 transmits two types of instructions (i.e., an acceleration/deceleration instruction and a steering instruction) to the vehicle control interface 300, but other information may be transmitted as additional information. Further, the vehicle control interface 300 may generate control data to be transmitted to the vehicle control ECU 101 based on the additional information. In the description of the embodiment, the steering angle (the turning angle of the tire) is used as the steering instruction. However, the steering instruction may be information about the trajectory of the vehicle itself.

Second embodiment

In the first embodiment, the vehicle control interface 300 performs mutual conversion of data based on conversion information stored in the storage unit 302. However, depending on the vehicle state, it may be inappropriate to switch the instruction sent from autopilot 200 without change. The second embodiment is an embodiment that limits the range of acceleration or deceleration and steering angle in order to solve such a problem.

The configuration of the vehicle system according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, except that the vehicle control interface 300 (vehicle information processing unit 3013) has a function of generating information (hereinafter referred to as range information) about a range of acceleration or deceleration and a range of steering angle, which can be specified, based on sensor data acquired from the vehicle platform, and notifying the autopilot platform of the range information.

In the second embodiment, the vehicle information processing unit 3013 calculates the range of acceleration or deceleration and the range of steering angle, which can be specified, based on the acquired sensor data, and notifies the automated driving ECU 201 of these ranges. For example, acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle that can be achieved may be changed according to the number of occupants, carrying capacity, engine load condition, road surface condition, and the like. In addition, the range of steering angles that can be achieved may be changed according to the vehicle speed, road conditions, traffic conditions, and the like. By calculating these ranges and notifying the automated driving ECU 201 of the range data, appropriate control can be performed.

Examples of the notified range information include the following data: (1) A range (lower limit value and upper limit value) of acceleration or deceleration that can be specified; (2) A range of steering angles (left-right angles) that can be specified; (3) A range of steering angle variation (angular velocity) that can be specified; and (4) a range of lateral accelerations or lateral jerks (lateral jerk). Such information is estimated and generated from the sensor data. The rule for generating the range information is stored in the storage unit 302 in advance.

The range information generated by the vehicle control interface 300 is transmitted to the automated driving ECU 201 and used in steps S11 to S12. For example, the physical control amount is generated in step S12 such that the acceleration or deceleration, the steering angle, and the angular velocity of the steering angle fall within the notified range. Alternatively, in step S11, the travel plan is generated so that the physical control amount does not fall outside the range.

Further, in the second embodiment, in the case where the acceleration/deceleration instruction and the steering instruction generated by the automated driving ECU 201 exceed the above-described ranges, those instructions are corrected. For example, when the acceleration/deceleration command and the steering command generated by the automated driving ECU 201 include values exceeding an upper limit value (lower limit value), control data is generated assuming that the upper limit value (lower limit value) is specified. Therefore, the vehicle can be controlled only in the range where the vehicle is considered safe.

In addition, in the case of performing correction based on the range information, the feedback sent to the automated driving ECU 201 may include that correction has been performed. Accordingly, the automated driving ECU 201 can reproduce the travel plan.

In the description of the present embodiment, the vehicle information processing unit 3013 generates information about the vehicle speed and the steering angle as range data, but other information may be added. For example, when the throttle valve is fully closed, an estimated value of acceleration or deceleration may be added to the range data.

Modified examples

The above-described embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention may be implemented with appropriate modifications within a range not departing from the gist thereof. For example, unless a technical contradiction occurs, the processes and units described in the present disclosure can be freely combined and implemented.

Further, the processing described as being performed by a single device may be performed by a plurality of devices in a shared manner. Alternatively, processes described as being performed by different devices may be performed by a single device. In the computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) for realizing each function can be flexibly changed.

The present invention can also be realized by providing a computer program for executing the functions described in the embodiments in a computer, and reading and executing the program by one or more processors included in the computer. Such a computer program may be provided to a computer by a non-transitory computer readable storage medium connectable to a computer system bus, or may be provided to a computer via a network. Examples of non-transitory computer readable storage media include random access disks (e.g., disk @Disk, hard Disk Drive (HDD)) and optical disks (CD-ROM, DVD disk, blu-ray disk, etc.), read-only memory (ROM), random Access Memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic cards, flash memory, optical cards, and random-type media suitable for storing electronic instructions.

Claims

1. A vehicle control interface connecting a vehicle platform including a first computer that performs travel control of a vehicle and an autopilot platform including a second computer that performs autopilot control of the vehicle, the autopilot platform being a third party developed device, the vehicle control interface characterized by comprising:

A control unit configured to perform:

Obtaining a first control instruction from the second computer, the first control instruction including at least one of first data regarding a specified acceleration or deceleration and second data regarding a specified travel locus, the first control instruction being data for controlling the vehicle platform, wherein the first data is data specifying acceleration or deceleration and the second data is data specifying a steering angle;

Converting the first control instruction into a second control instruction for the first computer to improve compatibility between the vehicle platform and the autopilot platform, wherein the first control instruction is data that is not specific to the first computer disposed in the vehicle and the second control instruction is data that is specific to the first computer; and

Transmitting the second control instruction to the first computer;

Wherein the control unit is configured to calculate a range of acceleration or deceleration that can be requested to the first computer and a range of variation of steering angle based on information acquired from the vehicle platform;

Wherein the control unit is configured to correct the acceleration or deceleration within a predetermined range when the acceleration or deceleration specified by the first data exceeds the range that can be requested from the first computer;

Wherein the control unit is configured to correct the amount of change in the steering angle within a predetermined range when the amount of change in the steering angle specified by the second data exceeds the range that can be requested from the first computer;

wherein the control unit is configured to notify the second computer of the range of the acceleration or deceleration and the range of the variation amount of the steering angle that can be requested to the first computer.

2. The vehicle control interface according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit is configured to discard the data without converting the data when the first control instruction includes data other than the first data and the second data.

3. The vehicle control interface according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by further comprising:

A storage unit configured to store conversion information, which is a rule for converting the first control instruction and the second control instruction,

Wherein the control unit is configured to convert the first control instruction into the second control instruction based on the conversion information.

4. A vehicle system, comprising:

A vehicle platform including a first computer that performs travel control of a vehicle; and

A vehicle control interface configured to connect the vehicle platform and an autopilot platform, the autopilot platform comprising a second computer that performs autopilot control of the vehicle, wherein the autopilot platform is a third party developed device

Wherein the vehicle control interface comprises a control unit configured to perform:

Transmitting the second control instruction to the first computer;

Wherein the control unit is configured to calculate a range of acceleration or deceleration that can be requested to the first computer and a range of variation of steering angle based on information acquired from the vehicle platform; wherein the control unit is configured to correct the acceleration or deceleration within a predetermined range when the acceleration or deceleration specified by the first data exceeds the range that can be requested from the first computer;